Electromechanical switch



W. J. BURCHETT.

ELECTROMEGHANICAL SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28., 1919.

1,339,845, Patented May 11,1920.

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W. J. BURCHETT.

ELECTROMECHANICAL SWITCH- APPLICATION man MAY 26, 1919.

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W. J. BURCHETT.

ELECTROMECHANICAL SWITCH.

PPLlCATlO-N FILED MAYZ'B 19,19.

Patented May 11,1920.

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WALTER J. BURCHETT, OF EAST GRANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SLOCUM,

AVRAM & SLOCUM LABORATORIES, INC., QF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CQR- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROMEGHANIGAL SWITCH.

Application filed May 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVAL'rER J. BURCHETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Electromechanical Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electro-mechanical switches, and is a modification of the construction disclosed in an application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 300,365. In said companion application there is provided mechanism for imparting an electric impulse once for a plurality of reoiprocations of the operat ng lever, which lever is controlled by'the machine being registered, whereas in the present case the device is designed to transmit an electric impulse to the counting or other registering mechanism each time the operating lever is reciprocated, thus countmg each operating movement of the machine being registered.

In carrying out this invention, I have devised certain novel details of construction as hereinafter will be pointed out and claimed more fully, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device, the inclosing cover being removed.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, the main supporting bracket being shown partly broken away.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the central shaft.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the main supporting bracket and its integral parts.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the gearing which transmits motion from the central shaft to the contact controlling mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the combined gears and cams.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of another cam.

Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views.

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a base plate, provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Serial No. 300,366.

able support in proximity or on the machine to be registered. Mounted upon said base plate is a bracket 6 of U-shape, the same being attached to the base plate by screws 7 as shownin Fig. 1. This bracket 6 is apertured centrally to receive a rotatable shaft 8, stepped at its bottom into the base plate 1. Said shaft 8 is screwthreaded at its upper end to receive a suitable retaining nut 9, and below said screwthreaded portion, and just above a sleeve 10, formed integral with the bracket 6, is squared to receive a star wheel 11 thereon, so that said wheel and shaft will rotate together. Removably mounted on said shaft above said star wheel is an operating lever 12, the same having interposed between it and the nut 9 a suitable washer 13. Said lever 12 when in position rests directly upon the star wheel 11, and has fixed to its underside a lug 1% adapted to engage between any two of the teeth of said star wheel to connect said wheel and lever, it being understood that said lever may by this construction be adjusted to any position with respect to the base plate, so as to adapt it for use in any position in connection with different machines. Said lever 12 also has adjustably mounted thereon a fastening device 15 for connecting the same to some operating part of the machine to be registered, whereby the movement of the machine will impart a vibratory movement to said lever 12.

Bolted to the base plate 1 is an insulating block 16, which has fixed thereto two -electrical spring contacts 17 as shown. These contacts are connected separately to the two circuit wires 18 and 19, which lead from the device through a suitable source of electrical energy to a registering mechanism, whereby the operation of my improved device will be registered. While I contemplate the use of my improved switch with any suitableelectrio registering mechanism, it is particularly well adapted for use in connection with an electric counter disclosed in an application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 300,367. The contacts 17 project from the block 16, and embrace the opposite faces of a contact wheel 20 of non-conducting material rotatably mounted upon said shaft 8, said wheel being shown in detail in Fig. 3, and having fixed therein contact plates 21 of conducting material, connected electrically with each other, and also disposed about three-quarters of the distance around said wheel, as shown. Said wheel 20 is fixed to a sleeve 22 fitting on a sleeve 22 into which the shaft 8 is stepped, and said sleeve 22 also has formedintegral with it a plate 23 pro jecting at one side to afford a contact surface 24 and an upstanding lug 25, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The plate 23 isprovided with a series of apertures 26, radially disposed equi-distant from each other, whose function is to receive a pin 27 fixed in the underside of a cup 28, which is apertured centrally to fit over the sleeve 22, said pin 27 and apertures 26 affording a means for adjusting said cup 28 with re spect to the plate 23 and for maintaining it in any desired adjusted position. Said cup 28 receives a coiled spring 29, the same being like an ordinary watch spring, and having its outer end bent at 30 to engage a lug 31 struck inwardly from the side of the cup 28, the inner end 32 of said spring being bent to engage in a slot 33 formed in a sleeve 34, also adapted to fit over the shaft 8, and in turn formed integral with a cam plate 35, shown in detail in Fig. 7, said cam plate having an abrupt cam face 36, a gradual cam face 37, and a notch 33 as shown. On the upper face of said cam plate 35 is pivoted a pawl 39, controlled by a spring 40, said pawl being adapted to engage the periphery of a cam 41 formed integral with the underside of a comparatively large gear wheel 42, said cam and gear wheel also being mounted on the shaft 8 immediately above the cam plate 35. Also fixed to rotate with the shaft 8, and disposed immediately above the gear wheel 42, is an arm 43 bent at its outer end at 44 into U-form to receive there in a shaft 45 having fixed thereto a larger gear wheel 46 and a pinion 47, as shown in detail in Fig. 5. Said arm 43 preferably is fixed detachably to the shaft 8 by means of a pin or pins formed in the underface of an enlargement 48 on said shaft 8, said pins on: gaging apertures 49 in the arm 43. Y'Vhen assembled, the gear wheel 46 carried by arm 43 is in mesh with the gear wheel 42, the two being of equal size. Extending horizontally from the bracket 6, and formed integral therewith, is a segmental bracket 50, formed with an internal rack 51, which is adapted to mesh with the pinion 47.

Fixed to the base plate 1 to one side of the shaft 8 is a post 52, which has mounted to vibrate thereon a bell crank 53 comprising arms 54 and 55, said arm 54 being bifurcated and said bifurcated ends being down-- turned to provide the stops 56 and 57, the stop 57 extending below the stop 56. The outer end of the arm contacts with the periphery of cam wheel 35, whereby the movement of-the bell crank 53 is controlled in a manner readily understood, said arm 55 being retained normally in contact with said cam wheel by the tension of a spring 58 attached at one end to a pin 59 on the arm 54 and at its other end to any suitable point, such as a post 60 fixed to the base 1.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: The movement of the pinion 47 is limited in each direction by the length of the internal rack 51 of the bracket 50, so that the reciprocating movement of the lever 12, which, through the shaft 8, moves with the arm 43 carrying said pinion 47, must be limited similarly. When the device is positioned to register the movements of a particular machine, therefore, the lever 12 must be adjusted on the shaft 8, through the engagement of its lug 14 with the star wheel 11, so that the movement imparted to said lever by the machine will be within the limits hereinbefore referred to. The downward or operating stroke of the lever 12 carrying with it the arm 43 will cause the pinion 47 to roll on the rack 51, said rack being long enough to permit a little more than a complete rotation of said pinion 47. This imparts a similar rotation to the gear wheel 46, mounted on the shaft 45 common to said gear wheel 46 and pinion 47, which in turn is imparted to the gear wheel 42. At the beginning of this stroke the arm 55 of hell crank 53 is in engagement with the notch 38 of the cam 1 the pinion 47, is rotated a complete turn byone reciprocation of the lever 12, it follows that the cam plate 35 will be rotated similarly a complete turn, which will result in the abrupt cam face '36 thereon passing the end of arm 55 and permitting said arm to rocl; inward, thus rocking the bell crank. 53 and moving its other arm 54 out vard. This rotation of the cam plate 35 has carried with it its sleeve 34, to which the inner end of the coiled spring 29 is attached, thus winding said spring and putting a tension upon the cup 28, to which the outer end of said spring is attached. This would. result in a rotary movement being imparted to said cup, and to the plate 23 fixed thereto,

were it not for the fact that until the cam face 36 reaches the arm 55 the other arm 5% of the bell crank 53 is positioned inward, so that the contact surface 24 of plate 23 is brought into engagement with the outer down-turned lug 57 of said arm 54, thereby checking further rotary movement of said plate 23 and cup 28, and thus causing the spring 29 to be wound. But when the cam face 36 registers with the end of arm 55, and the lever 53 is rocked, through the tension of spring 58, the stop 57 is moved outward away from the path of the contact surface 24, thus releasing the plate'23. As -iereinbefore stated, the contact wheel 20 also is fixed to the plate 23, through the sleeve 22, so that said contact wheel 20 moves with said plate when the latter is released. This release takes place shortly before the pinion 47 completes its movement and the further slight movement of said pinion causes the cam plate 35 to move far enough to cause the notch 38 therein to ride over the gradual cam face 37 on cam plate 35 and then register with the notch 38. In riding over the cam face 37 the arm 55 of the bell crank 53 again is rocked outward, correspondingly rocking its other arm 54L inward, so that the inner stop 56 thereon will be brought into the path of movement of the upstanding lug 25 on the plate 23, which temporarily will check further rotation of said plate. It will be observed that with the parts in this position, the contacts 17 will engage the non-conducting portion of the contact wheel 20, but as said contact wheel is rotated, when released, through the spring 29, the contact plates 21 thereof will sweep past said contacts 17, thus temporarily closing the circuit and transmitting an electric impulse. It also will be observed that when this stroke is completed and the upstanding lug 25 contacts with the stop 56 the contacts 17 again will lie against the non-conducting portion of the contact wheel 20, whereby the circuit will be broken.

In my companion application, Serial No. 300,365, hereinbefore referred to, this stop and release mechanism is specifically described and claimed, and, therefore, forms no part of the present case, said present case being directed particularly to the gear mechanism whereby a single stroke of the operating lever 12 will cause the contact wheel 20 to be given a complete rotation and to be brought to a stop in substantially its initial position with the contacts 17 again upon the non-conducting portion of the contact wheel 20.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as mw and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a lever adapted to be vibrated by the machine to be registered, a shaft carrying and operated by said lever, a contact wheel, circuit closing contacts in engagement with said wheel normally upon its non-conducting portion, and means intermediate said shaft and wheel for imparting a complete rotation to said wheel for each stroke in one direction of said lever.

2. In a device of the character described, a lever adapted to be vibrated by the machine to be registered, a shaft carrying and operated by said lever, a contact wheel, circuit closing contacts in engagement with said wheel normally upon its non-conducting portion, and a rack and pinion operated from said shaft for imparting a complete rotation to said contact wheel for each stroke in one direction of said lever.

3. In a device of the character described, a lever adapted to be vibrated by the machine to be registered, a shaft carrying and operated by said lever, a contact wheel, circuit closing contacts in engagement with said wheel normally upon its non-conducting portion, a pinion vibrated by the movement of said shaft from said lever, a fixed rack for rotating said pinion when vibrated, gear wheels rotated with said pinion, and spring mechanism intermediate said gear wheels and contact wheel adapted to be wound and then to be released automatically to actuate said contact wheel one rotation for each stroke in one direction of said lever.

42. In a device of the character described, a lever adapted to be vibrated by the machine to be registered, a shaft carrying and operated by said lever, a contact wheel, circuit closing contacts in engagement with said wheel normally upon its non-conducting portion, an arm fixed to said shaft, a pinion rotatably mounted in said arm, a fixed rack engaging said pinion to rotate the latter when reciprocated, a gear wheel carried by said arm and fixed to the pinion shaft, a gear wheel rotatable on said leveroperated shaft and meshed with said first gear wheel, and spring mechanism intermediate said second gear wheel and said con tact wheel adapted to be wound and then to be released automatically to actuate said contact wheel one rotation for each stroke in one direction of said lever.

5. In a device of the character described, a lever adapted to be vibrated by the machine to be registered, a shaft carrying and operated by said lever, a contact wheel, circuit closing contacts in engagement with said wheel normally upon its non-conducting portion, an arm fixed to said. shaft, a pinion rotatably mounted in said arm. a fixed rack engaging said pinion to rotate the latter when reciprocated, a gear wheel carried by said arm and fixed to the pinion shaft, a gear wheel rotatable on said leveroperated shaft and meshed with said first gear Wheel, a cam fixed to said second gear ed to be Wound and then to be released au- Wheel, a cam plate loose on said shaft betomatically to actuate said contact Wheel neathsaid cam and carrying a pawl adaptonerotation for each stroke in one direc- 10 ed to engagesaid cam whereby said cam tion of saidlever.

plate will be rotated by said cam in one di- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my motion, and spring mechanism intermediate hand this 21st day of May, 1919. 1

said cam plate and said contact Wheeladapt- WALTER J. 'BURCHETT. 

